1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to sanative protective coverings in the medical field, and in particular relates to vacuum sealing protectors for covering casts, bandages and other dressings on a patient.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,501 for Method of Waterproof Sealing of Casts and Dressings, issued to the inventor of the present invention, discloses and claims methods for the waterproof sealing of a cast or dressing on a patient using a water-and-air-impervious flexible membrane by creating a vacuum beneath the portion of the membrane which overlies the cast or dressing as well as portions of the patient's skin lying along the perimeter edge of the cast or dressing. The vacuum is established either through the use of a tube having one end inserted through the interface between the membrane and skin with the other end connected to a vacuum source, or in another embodiment through an air valve in the membrane which is connected to the vacuum source.
In the prior art sanative protectors of the type described oral evacuation of air from the interface region beneath the membrane has been used by the patient or health care professional sucking air through the distal end of the tube. While this method has the advantage of simplicity, some patients feel squeamish about inhaling air from their injured area, especially after some weeks without bathing it. In addition, the inhalation of air through a vinyl hose from a rubber sanative protector is of questionable sterility from the beginning, and this is especially so after the cast or dressing protector has been in use for several weeks.
There is a growing market for the sanative protector in hospital care, rest home care, home care and physical therapy where the person applying and evacuating the sanative protector is not the patient but rather is a health care professional or other person. In these cases the person would find it undesirable to inhale air from the patient's injured area, especially if the injury, rather than being a simple fracture in a cast, has a sepsis problem. For example, the injury could be an open, infected ulcer, or the sanative protector could be covering the lower abdomen and inguinal area. Also, under these conditions even the patient should not inhale air from an infected area directly into the lungs. Therefore, for antiseptic reasons, these prior art methods for creating the vacuum in such a sanative protector are undesirable. Another disadvantage from these prior art methods is that the health care provider oftentimes cannot expend the effort of going from patient to patient for repeatedly evacuating such a sanative protector. Where the users are infirm or geriatric patients, they often are so weak they cannot expend the effort of inhaling to evacuate the sanative protectors.
In the prior art sanative protectors it is difficult to operate the vacuum source to achieve a consistent "target" level of vacuum which is adequate to maintain the waterproof seal about the protector and without being excessive and unsafe. The need has therefore been recognized for a sanative protector of the type described which obviates the foregoing and other limitations and disadvantages of the prior art sanative protectors. There has heretofore not been provided a suitable and attractive solution to these problems.